Following the detection of 26 new polio cases in India's Uttar Pradesh state,
officials there have complained to the World Health Organization
about the low quality of vaccines they received three months ago.
"We intimated our dissatisfaction with the stuff being provided to UP
and asked them to be careful next time," said Sardar Singh,
state minister of family welfare.

Some of the 26 cases came from areas with 100% vaccine coverage and from
children who have received eight to 10 doses of the vaccine,
Singh said. The WHO dismissed the cases as "insignificant,"
Singh said. "We were told that the children who contracted polio
were weak and had low level of immunity," he said, adding that the
organization assured the state officials of a "better consignment" in the
future (Manjari Mishra,
(
Times of India, 13 Aug).

Rotary International
President R.K. Saboo said yesterday that India will be
free of polio by next year, with WHO certification coming three years later.
Rotary has worked with the Indian government,
UNICEF and the WHO to achieve a significant drop in Indian
polio cases. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states are the worst affected
states in India
(
Times of India, 13 Aug).

Neighboring Pakistan plans to conduct a polio eradication program in the
Thatta district of Sindh state from 21 to 23 August.
The WHO is assisting with arrangements for the immunization drive
(
Associated Press of Pakistan/Karachi Business Recorder, 11 Aug).